The greatest snowshoe trip so far...

I went snowshoeing today on Christmas Eve at Fairview Skyline. Sorry, I forgot the camera this time but I feel real bad I didn't because I could have taken really good pictures this time. This trip I went on ledge of a hill with snow drifts on one side and a steep slope on the other side that goes down a canyon. It was a clear day this morning and you can see it all stormy in Provo/Salt Lake area, real beatiful morning. I went at 10:00 am this time and got through at noon. I climbed along this ridge and kept climbing up to the top, the hill was so steep and my heart rate was at the maxinum rate, great views at the left(Ephraim), at the right(Indianola area), at the front(Mt. Nebo), and the behind(Fairview Lakes). I made it at the top at 11,000 feet and I was sweaty hot! It was a lot harder to breathe in that elevation and now my brain is starving for some valley oxygen, I feel a little lightheaded because I am not used to exercising that high. But it was really great. I am glad I went, better weather this time, wasn't stormy and it was very sunny. I will definitely do it again because I loved the hike, I will take pictures next time(hopefully next week) on a clear day so you can see everything.

Hit the gym!

If you are not a bike climber, you wouldn't get this joke.

Dog vest for sale...

I will sell this vest for $100. Your dog with a vest will make a huge difference in your lives and the dog's life. Without the vest, your dog couldn't go into stores, restaurants, the zoo, Disneyland, the beach, motels, apartments, etc. It would save you a lot of money from kennel time when you go to the beach or on a vacation, a whole lot of money. Your dog will be happy and you will be happy. I will sell it to you but don't tell Becky. I will just send it to you after you send me the check and then Becky will buy another when she can't find the one I sent to you. Good deal?

My Tractor Experience This Morning...

This snowy morning at work, there was 6 inches on the ground and my boss asked me to plow up the snow in front of storage units next door with a tractor. Yes! A tractor! I was kind of nervous at first because I never driven a tractor before and the tractor he has is an antique. A 1950 something Massey Ferguson tractor and it runs great! It was well taken care of and really nice. My boss said it is like driving a car with a stick but only 3 speeds. I tried it and it was easy! The snow plow was in the middle and under the tractor, between the front and back tires. My boss and I put chains on the rear tires and there I went! It was actually fun! Even in the 15 degree temperature, I didn't even think about it and was having too much fun that I have to tell everybody. I plowed up the whole driveway and parking space in front of the storage units. I thought I did a good job. Now people can get their storage. A van and truck went there while I plowed and they said thanks. I was out there for an hour and the seat was metal and my butt was freezing and felt numb when I was done. I went straight to the wood stove in our shop and warmed up for 20 minutes before we started working. What a great tractor experience!

Christmas is coming, Daniel is getting Fat!

Holy crap, look at all the presents! They are mostly all Becky's though. Everyday, I see one or two new presents under the tree. I wonder if Santa Claus comes to our house everyday during the two weeks before Christmas instead all of them on Christmas morning. I think he wants to get us(the grownups) done before Christmas Eve so he can have more time to do just the kids on that night. How nice of him. I hope we get a good Christmas this year because I feel like I have been a good boy this year. Working hard at work, being nice to folks, and going to church. It looks like I have been a good boy because look at the big two presents below!

Gee, I wonder what's in there?

Merry Christmas. Sincerely, Dancool.

Snowshoeing in Ephraim Canyon...

Willow Creek

Sadie came with me....Duke got lost down at the bottom, so he went back to the car and waited for us. Such a good dog that he waited for us, not wandering around.

Virgil Ash's Mongolian tent at Willow Creek trail. Too bad he wasn't there because I could of paid him a visit in that heated tent.

The town below

I went snowshoeing in Ephraim Canyon today, nope, not Fairview this time. Didn't have enough money to go to Fairview. In fact, I kind of enjoyed Ephraim Canyon more than Fairview Skyline this time, the snow wasn't so deep and you could actually go somewhere and climb hills. I was planning to go to Taylor's Flat and then on the flat part of the Flume trail but since the snow wasn't so deep, I thought I could get a better workout by going someplace more adventurous and hilly, I went up on the Willow Creek Trail. Yes, that is a steep trail and it was a good hill climbing workout, since I like climbing, I went up all the way to Virgil Ash's tent(little below the A-frame house on Bald Mountain) and back down. I made it to Virgil's tent in 45-50 minutes, that is pretty good since it is an elevation gain at about 1,250 feet, on shoeshoes. I really enjoyed this trip and Sadie went up with me, Duke was going to but he got lost when we started going up so he went back to the car and waited the whole time we went(hour and a half). Duke is a really good patient dog. Knows what he is doing I guess. There were a ton of snowmobilers going up and down the Epraim Canyon Main Road, I could hear all them while I was going up the trail. This was a really good snowshoe trip.

Snowshoe! Snowshoe! Snowshoe!

My snowshoe tracks behind me.

It snowed.

Then it cleared up.

Then it snowed again!

Gorgeous.


I woke up Saturday morning expecting there would be a lot of snow on the ground after listening to the weather man all week about how it was going to storm Friday night with 80% chance with accumulation of 2-5 inches in the valleys. But there was not one drop of snow. I thought that was kind of good news and that means I could go up to Fairview Canyon on clear roads and hoping it snowed a lot there. On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, I ate some cereal and orange juice and got ready. I left at 11:00 a.m. and got to Fairview Skyline at noon and it was snowing a little bit, the roads were plowed though so that was good. On the way, I saw a whole lot of snowboarders, sledders, and snowmobilers. I got where no one was in a forest covered with snow. I strapped my snowshoes on my feet and got my poles and started. It started with a long hill and I climbed and climbed then it flattened out when I got into the forest, it was snowing the whole time. The snow was so deep that it was hard to walk and was making my heart pumping fast. After I got out of the forest, the skies were clearing up with sun shining, it was pretty. I went downhill and got back to the road and snowshoeed on the side of the road for a half of mile until the car. Then it fogged up and started snowing again. I got back at 1:30 p.m. so that means I went out there for an hour and a half. I drove back home in a snowstorm but the roads were still clear. It was a great dinky rinky little snowy snowshoe trip and a good workout! I had fun and plan on going next week and hoping it won't snow that time.